Mercy
by WarrynSparklegem
Summary: When you think about wars as a child, you think about being a dashing hero, whose brave and noble deeds are legendary to everyone. This was Lance's mindset when he was blasted into the middle of intergalactic war, but such views have begun to dwindle as he faces reality-particularly when having to come to terms with the possibility of killing someone…
1. Consumed By Fear

Lance was alright with this plan.

This plan was easy. This plan was simple. This plan was bound to work.

Lance just had one teensy-weensey, itty-bitty problem with this plan…

He was partnered with Keith.

 _Keith! Why Keith of all people!?_

Lance honestly thought that Shiro and Allura had completely lost their minds! The maximum amount of time that Lance and Keith had been able to work together without fighting was ten minutes. Or course, Lance wasn't the one who started the fights. Keith started them with his I-am-so-good-at-everything-and-Lance-will-never-be-as-good-as-me attitude. That, and he was completely hostile to any of Lance's attempts to initiate a friendship. Lance would make a small joke to lighten the mood, and then Keith would suddenly explode at him as if the blue paladin had shaved off his mullet! Seriously, would it kill the dude to just chill!? And now the two of them had been partnered to protect Pidge while she hacked a Galran database.

There had been blood, and tears, and screams-many screams-when the red and blue paladins found out that they would have to endure each other's company. Shiro and Allura were both quick to slap them down, and reminded them that Pidge's safety was their shared responsibility. Lance quickly matured (though he still simmered slightly on the inside) because the thought of his hermanita being harmed was devastating!

"Yeah, well, Pidge would be perfectly safe with me. And Hunk too" Lance had argued. Shiro was quick to counter.

"Lance, you weapon isn't good for close range, and neither is Hunk's really; Keith's is. Besides, I need Hunk to help me look around and he understands Galran tech better than I do. "

Lance sighed heavily, but agreed nonetheless. After all, this mission was far more important than this petty feud going on between them.

So now Lance stood outside the door of the room where Pidge was hacking. He faced down one corridor while Keith watched down the other. Lance was tempted to make a witty remark about Keith's mullet, but decided against it. Besides, this was so cool! He felt like James Bond, defeating evil, shooting his enemies and sweeping all the girls off of their feet. He remembered how he and his younger siblings would crowd around the TV in their pyjamas to watch James Bond movies. They would have popcorn and sodas and garlic knots, and the elder siblings would be sat on the sofa while the younger ones were scrawled on the floor with cushions and beanbags. Juliana and Sofia would be curled up asleep by the end of the movie, and Lance and Mariana would carry them both upstairs to their beds. David had once said: "Lance would be the best James Bond out of all of us!"

Lance had to violently shake his head to point his focus back on to the corridor. Now was not the time for him to be reminiscing about the past.

 _I can go home once I know they'll be safe; it's far too dangerous to leave now._

Lance would keep telling himself this, not matter how much it breaks his heart.

Lance quickly glanced behind him to look at the red paladin. Keith was unaware of Lance observing him. He was focused solely on the end of the corridor, sword held loosely at his side in a tight grip. His legs were spread to give him a balanced stance, one foot behind the other in order to suddenly leap forward at a foe.

As much as Lance hated to admit it, Keith was pretty cool. When he'd first joined the Garrison, he had wanted to be Keith. Keith was an amazing pilot who answered every question correctly. Every guy wanted to be his friend and every girl wanted to be his true love. Keith, however, had no interests in such menial accessories. He only ever hung around Shiro, and never showed any gratitude when a teacher complimented him. Lance never really hated him though. He had tried a few times to approach Keith, but he never really showed any interest in a friendship. He hadn't even noticed Lance that time he'd borrowed his pencil and never given it back. Maybe he was too scared to give it back or had completely forgotten about it? Who cares? So the guy had a few socialising issues. So what?

Then Keith left, and Lance was moved up to his spot in Fighter Class. Lance was still alright with Keith at this point, but then suddenly it was all: "Kogane would have gotten this right by now!" or "Why can't you be more like Keith Kogane?" Being compared to another person everyday can get exceedingly annoying incredibly quickly, and it was these situations that planted the seed of bitterness within Lance. Being in space had sweetened his view of Keith though, but those cruel words from the Garrison still stuck with him. And Keith was absolutely certain that Lance still hated him.

Turning back to his corridor, Lance decided that he should tell Keith the truth as soon as the mission was over. Perhaps the two of them could have a new bonding moment-one that Lance would remember this time-and turn over a new leaf. It was decided then. Now it was time for him to focus less on the future and more on the present.

"How're you doing Pidge?" Lance called to the green paladin.

"83% done." Pidge called back. "I'll be done in a dobash."

The end of the dobash was marked by Pidge's triumphant exclaim.

"I got it!" She grinned. "Now let's get out of here!"

Pidge grabbed her memory stick from the control desk, and that's when everything went downhill.

Alarms immediately began blaring and purple lights flashed in the ceilings.

"Quiznack!" Pidge swore. "I must have triggered an alarm by removing the stick!"

"Never mind that!" Keith yelled. "Let's just focus on getting out of here."

Pidge ran out of the door and made to go down Keith's corridor when a group of sentries herded round the corner, guns blazing.

"Dammit!" Keith cursed. "Shiro, we're being attacked."

" _Fend them off paladins!_ " Shiro replied through the comms. " _We'll be with you shortly._ "

Lance took down as many as he could from the back while Pidge and Keith attacked from close-range. But would that be enough? Who knew how many of these things there were! Lance lowered his gun for a moment to observe the environment. It was then that he noticed the ledge just above him. If he could climb that, then he could see and shoot the sentries at the back!

With a grin, Lance leapt up to the ledge, with a little helpful thrust from his jetpack. He could see the robots at the end of the corridor, and more were joining on from around the corner with every passing tick! But Lance was able to see them. And if he could see them, then he could shoot them. It didn't take long for the army of sentries to reduce in size. There were definitely few enough of them to handle. Lance withdrew for a moment to roll his shoulders. That was when he saw something approach them from behind. Another foe was heading right towards Pidge and Keith from the corridor Lance had been watching earlier. But Pidge and Keith couldn't see them! Lance trained his aim on the adversary, and then hesitated when he saw…

A Galra.

Not a robot, but a real flesh-and-blood, sentient, living Galra. It was huge, massive, colossal! It could easily crush Pidge with one fist! Its purple fur was sleek and smooth, and its one yellow eye was trained firmly on the red and green paladins. Its other eye was purple and robotic, like Sendak's, but neither of his arms were cybernetic; his legs were though. He was quick and light on them as he ran for the exposed paladins.

Lance's finger was on the trigger, ready to send a shot right through the Galra's head. It would be easy; all he had to do was pull the trigger...but he couldn't. No matter how much willpower he had, he just couldn't do it! Lance's eyes began to water from frustration. WHY COULDN'T HE JUST SHOOT THE QUIZNACKING GALRA!? HE WAS RIGHT ON TOP OF PIDGE! Lance squeezed his eyes shut.

 _Shoot!_

 _Come on!_

 _JUST SHOOT!_

Pidge suddenly screamed in agony, making Lance open his eyes faster than a hummingbird's flutter. Pidge was in the Galra's huge, tight grasp, a pain-filled grimace etched on her face. Keith turned to look as well, but had to turn away almost immediately to fend off a foe. Pidge then yelled again as the Galra squeezed her.

"PIDGE!"

Lance barely registered his scream as he pulled the trigger. The plasma bolt when straight through the Galra's head. Everything from that point was slow motion. Lance could see the blood come rushing out of the Galra's head like a fountain. The red splattered on the wall and dripped down it, slow and thick. The Galra had a momentary expression of surprise and pain on its face before it went completely lax...lifeless. Its body fell to one side like a felled tree. Its grasp on Pidge was suddenly unlocked, and she too made her descent to the floor.

Lance couldn't look away. No matter how much he wanted to, he just couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene; _your murder scene_.

Time resumed when the Galra's body hit the ground with a deafening thump that echoed through the metal tunnel. Pidge hit the ground with a hiss just as Keith finished off the last sentry. His attention was immediately directed to the fallen green paladin. Shiro and Hunk both arrived at this time as well. Shiro bounded gracefully through the field of broken robots while Hunk opted to tip-toe quickly instead.

"Katie!" Shiro exclaimed when he laid eyes on the youngest paladin. "Are you alright?"

Pidge was gently raised into a sitting position, hissing and gasping.

"I think my ribs are bruised." She groaned. "Possibly even fractured or broken."

"Don't worry Pidge." Hunk reassured her gently. "A healing pod can fix that in no time!"

Luckily for his stomach, Hunk didn't notice the dead corpse while his attention was solely focused on Pidge. He knelt down and carefully lifted Pidge to his chest, one hand supporting her knees and another supporting her back.

"Did you get the information?" Shiro asked.

"Yup." Pidge smiled, trying to show as little pain as possible. "I've got it right on this memory stick. I triggered the alarm when I removed it from the console."

"Well, it could have been worse." Shiro sighed in relief. He began to observe Keith for any injuries, and was satisfied when he saw none. It was at this point that he noticed they were missing a paladin. "Where's Lance?"

Keith's eyes widened suddenly, then turned to where he'd seen some shots come from. Lance was knelt on the ledge, his face pale and...was that a smidge of green in his cheeks? Nevertheless, Keith's blood began to boil with rage, fire lighting behind his skin. Lance was in a perfect location to see attacks from all sides. He was supposed to be a perfect sharpshooter. He was supposed to be watching their backs. So why had Pidge gotten hurt?

"Are you kidding me Lance!?" Keith yelled at the blue paladin, his body overflowing with rage. "You're always boasting about being a good sharpshooter and how you can keep Pidge safe on your own, so why did you let her get hurt!?"

Lance couldn't reply. What could he say? Could he really tell them that he couldn't kill a Galra, that he couldn't remove a threat to their team?

Thankfully, Shiro intervened.

"We can discuss this later." He said, placing his human hand on Keith's shoulder. "For now, we need to get back to Green and get Pidge in to a pod."

Keith huffed and unwillingly relented from his furious rant. But the glare he shot at Lance was clearly a message: _this isn't over_.

The paladins began to make their way back to where they'd left the green lion. As he leapt down, Lance couldn't help but take another look at the Galra he's shot. It- _no,_ _ **he**_ -was laid on his back, his head surrounded by a pool of crimson blood. Something peeked out of a large, gaping hole on the side of his head, but Lance didn't let his gaze linger on the wound for long. Instead, he turned to the eyes, which were infinitely worse. The cybernetic eye was now black, as if all of the light had been sucked right out. The organic eye staring distantly at the ceiling. Lance almost thought that the Galra was looking straight at him, but he reasoned that that was impossible since he was…

Dead.

The Galra was dead.

Lance had killed a living person.

Lance had blood on his hands.

 _No. Please no. No, no, nonononononononono! What do I do?_

 _ **Mamá, por favor, ¿qué hago?**_

 **(Author's Note:**

Hello everyone! This is my very first fanfiction! I do plan to continue this, so don't worry! Feel free to leave a review. I don't think I'll be able to publish new stories very regularly with my current schedule, but I'll try my best.

Thanks for reading!

Translations:

 **Hermanita-** little sister

 **Mamá, por favor, ¿qué hago?-** Mama, please, what do I do?

 **EDIT: Grammar mistakes have been fixed. Inform me if you find any more.)**


	2. Consumed By Guilt

**Author's Note: Oh my gosh! It has been about a week since I published the first chapter and I have 3 followers, 60 reads and dragoscilvio has favourited (that is now a word in my dictionary) my story! (Btw I really love your 'Heart of a Lion' story and have for a really long time) Anyway, thank you to everyone! Seeing my first read and follower has been one of the greatest moments of my life! And now, just under a week later, Chapter 2 is here! I also have a cover planned, but I don't think I'll add that until I finish the story. That is, unless, you would like me to put it up earlier.**

 **Anyway, on with the story!**

Lance could barely feel anything.

He couldn't feel his back scalding from the burning water, nor the tickling sensation of water drops sliding down his lean legs. His mind was not present in the safety of his room, but rather it was still stuck with Pidge. She had been immediately changed into a cryo-suit and placed in the healing pod. She had hissed and groaned every time a movement jostled her chest, which was blossoming with painful bruises, varying from dark shades of purple and indigo, to black. Had the pattern been on a different canvas, Lance may have liked it, but these markings were on Pidge's body, and it was because of him that they were there.

According to Coran…

" _The healing pod should have her healed by tomorrow morning." Coran smiled at Shiro, prompting the black paladin to deflate with a huge sigh of relief. Hunk, too, exhaled and finally allowed a smile to widen on his face._

" _Thank goodness." He said. "I was almost afraid that she had been severely crushed!"_

 _Lance also wanted to sigh, but his body was still petrified by the view of Pidge's limp body sleeping in the pod; not even the heat from Keith's glare could melt him. Her face was relaxed-more so than it had been recently-and the bags beneath her eyes were ashen, almost dark grey. It was nice to see her finally taking it easy for once, but Lance desperately wished that it could have been under other circumstances. Guilt swirled within his stomach and his heart felt heavy. He would have stood there forever if Keith hadn't suddenly turned to him._

" _What the quiznack was that back there!?" He demanded._

 _Disturbed by the sudden outburst, Lance jumped and flipped his head to face the red paladin. Keith was furious! His eyes were sharper than his blade and his face glowed a bright red. At another time, Lance would have started singing about Rudolph and Keith's face would have changed from anger to confusion._

 _But that Lance wasn't here. That Lance was annoyingly cheerful and charming, with an abundance of confidence and wit. This Lance was void of everything but sadness, guilt and fear._

 _Because Keith was right._

 _Keith was always right._

" _You were in a perfectly good location to see that Galra coming, you had a clear shot, YOU COULDN'T HAVE MISSED IT!" Keith was full-on yelling now. Hunk was shrinking and Shiro looked ready to stop Keith but he continued: "Now, thanks to you Pidge is hurt! We got lucky this time; next time she could be killed! Or Hunk, or Shiro!"_

 _Tears welled up in Lance's eyes, but he had just enough will left to suppress them._

" _K-Keith, I-" Lance began to stammer, but Keith's reprimand was well beyond the point or return._

" _No Lance! I don't want to hear your excuses! You go on and on about how you're an amazing sharpshooter, but you never live up to your boasting! Why do you have to be so useless!?"_

 _Everyone gasped as soon as the words left Keith's mouth. Even Keith seemed shocked at his own words, and immediately deflated, curling in on himself. His eyes widened and his face rapidly paled. Lance, however, appeared to be unaffected on the outside. Inside, he felt like a million arrows had pierced his body all at once. His heart hurt the most though, as if someone had stabbed a knife into his chest and cruelly twisted it._

" _Lance… I-I'm so sorry! I-"_

" _No, no." Lance said. "You're right. Pidge got hurt because I didn't shoot that Galra, and someone could die if I hesitate again. You were right to call me out on it Keith."_

 _Lance was able to force a small, gentle smile on his face, but it required all of his strength to keep it from wavering. Without waiting for a reply, Lance turned and swiftly left the room. No one called for him to come back._

 _As soon as the door shut behind him, Lance could hear Shiro's voice, but it was too muffled for him to make out the words. Instead of waiting around, he returned to his room with the hope that no one would disturb him for a while. Lance wanted to be alone right now, because he was sure that the haunted look on his face would send shivers down everyone's spines._

 _Haunted; just another word for anguished or troubled._

Yes, _Lance thought._ I am definitely haunted.

 _Ever now, Lance can still see Pidge. He could how the agony caused her face to scrunch and her eyes to leak tears. Her screams of pain and the cracking sound from her chest echo within his mind. The bruises on her skin looked so wrong against her pale complexion. Even her relaxed face was odd since she always had a look of concentration. Whether she was on the computer, or in training, or flying Green, her focus would be on something. Lance thought that arriving in Space would have eased her mind a bit since she was one step closer to finding her family; instead, it did the opposite. Pidge was so determined to find Matt. She would stay up late for nights on end, scanning through thousands of lines of data in hope that something about her family would come up._

 _Despite how much Lance hated seeing Pidge push herself so extremely, he couldn't say anything because he would be doing the same if it was one of his younger siblings. He had tried to be there for Pidge though. Whenever she had a nightmare, Lance would hold her and rock her gently and let her talk about her brother. Sometimes, in return, Lance would tell her one of the many tales he had about his own family. He even comforted her when she was on a period. He'd bring her some heated bags and water bottles to ease her cramps, and he'd rush to and from the kitchen to bring her food and drinks while she stayed in bed with her laptop (having four younger sisters can make a guy very understanding). Most of all though, Lance had promised Pidge that they would find her family, that they would work together and for as many hours as it would take._

 _Family…_

 _He missed his family._

 _Heck, anyone would miss their family. Even a Galra would-_

…

 _That Galra soldier must have had family as well. Maybe a wife, maybe a child, maybe some siblings. They must have had parents and friends at the very least! Despite everything, that Galra soldier must have had people who would miss him, people who have been left behind because… Lance had killed him. He'd shot him cleanly through the head, and the Galra fell, like a tree chopped by a lumberjack._

 _Lance could see him now. His stone-dead corpse laying on the ground, eyes drained of their life and limbs completely limp. Lance could recall the blood as it crawled across the floor and slithered down the wall. He could see the blood now pulling its way towards him now, up his legs and chest, latching onto his face to drown him in his sins! He could see it on his hands…_

His hands!

Lance could see the blood on his hands and it wouldn't come off! Lance yelped and began scrubbing furiously at his hands beneath the shower water. He then grabbed his flannel and rubbed his hands so hard that blood was now coming out of his hands as well!

"Go away!" Lance whimpered. "Just go away!"

But no matter how hard Lance tried to get rid of the stains, they just would not leave him! The blood would taint him forever.

 _Mama won't want me back!_ Lance realised, dread filling him up as quickly as tears filled his eyes. _The others won't want me to stay! Will my siblings even recognise me with all of this blood?_

"POR FAVOR, SOLO DÉJAME EN PAZ!" Lance begged. He collapsed onto the flooded floor of his shower as water continue to cascade down his back. Lance curled up, knees held tightly by his arms and tucked beneath his face. Lance sobbed uncontrollably, and began to rock slightly.

"Por favor… por favor, solo déjame en paz."

But nobody came, and the agonised cries continues to echo throughout his broken mind.

* * *

As soon as Lance was gone, Shiro turned to Keith with a disappointed grimace.

"That was too far Keith!" Shiro said.

Keith turned to Shiro, his eyes shining with horror and tears.

"I-I know!" Keith stammered. "I just-I didn't mean it that way! I just want him to take things seriously!"

"Lance does take things seriously Keith!" Hunk insisted. "He certainly takes our safety seriously!"

"How can you say that after he ditched you last week!?" Keith demanded.

"Hey, I was the one who asked Lance to grab the fruit!"

"But he should have insisted that your safety was more important! And what about when we're on missions!? He's always making stupid jokes and clowning around! I just don't understand him!"

"That's just how the blue paladin is Keith." Allura explained gently. Everyone turned to her. No one knew the traits of the blue paladin because Lance had so rudely interrupted her. Seeing that everyone was paying incredibly close attention to her, Allura continued: "The blue paladin is fun and witty. He is able to remain calm and cool in the face of danger, and keeps the other paladins from completely succumbing to their own traits and flaws. But most of all, the blue paladin is loyal, and will value his team and family above all else. He helps to support Voltron, not just as a robot, but also as a collective mind and soul. You could say that he is the very heart of Voltron! Without him, we...just wouldn't be able to properly function."

Everyone was silent. None of them had actually stopped to think about just how important Lance was to them.

Because he was!

He was always there for them, through nightmares and tears and anxiety attacks. Lance would be there to pull them back up when they had fallen, and support them when they felt weak. Lance was more than just their leg; he was their heart. Their warm and gentle and oh-so-loving heart! Without him, they just weren't a proper family!

"We need to fix this." Shiro said eventually. "I say we all get changed first. Have some showers, eat some food. I'll go see Lance after he's had some time to calm down, and we'll go from there."

"Yes Shiro." Everyone agreed.

Once everyone had dispersed, Shiro closed his eyes and prayed desperately for Lance to be alright.

 **Author's Note: Will Lance be alright? Well, since this is Langst, probably not, but I will make everything better for our beloved blue paladin!**

 **Anyway, see you all in the next chapter!**

 **POR FAVOR, SOLO DÉJAME EN PAZ! - PLEASE, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!**

 **EDIT: Grammar mistakes have been fixed. Inform me if you find any more.**


	3. Consumed By Terror

Lance's back was scorching to the touch. If you were to hold your hand a few centimetres from his skin, you would feel a gentle warmth envelope your fingers. Normally, Lance would berate himself for sitting under a hot shower for over a varga, but that side of Lance had curled up in the deepest corner of his mind. The Lance currently at the helm appeared to be completely void of all feeling. He was tightly rolling bandages around his hands. Scratches adorned them, as if Lance had tried to fend off a pack of starving lions with them. Despite the agony that must have been present, Lance did not wince, or flinch, or moan. In fact, he seemed to be completely ignoring his physical pain. The torturing hallucinations had long since passed, but the damaging effects still lingered. It pulsed in the back of his mind, just like the throbbing in his blistered back; he didn't even register the sensation.

 _I can't tell the team._ He thought desperately. _I just can't. I'm already useless enough; an unnecessary seventh wheel. I can't give them a reason to throw me away like a worn gear!_

After all, what use was a soldier who fight?

Because Lance was a soldier now. He was fighting a war to protect people and liberate enslaved planets. Every single living person-and alien-in the whole Universe was depending on him! They needed the blue paladin to remain strong and determined, and Lance was used to being depended on (he was the oldest of seven after all), but this was different. It wasn't just his family depending on him, but also his friends and countless strangers.

In times of weakness such as these, Lance wished that he could be as tough as Shiro, who had braved through the Galra's sick games and twisted experiments. However, while Lance had wished to be as tough as Shiro for a really long time, he wished that he could be just like his Papa even more.

Papa had been a good man. He had loved Lance just as strongly as his siblings that followed. Where Mama was stern, Papa was laid back. When Lance got into fights, Mama would treat his wounds with gentle words, then tell him off, then cook him a plate of garlic knots. Papa, on the other hand, was nothing but comforting. He would hold his son tightly and whisper his wise advice. One of Lance's favourites was: "Keep your eyes on the target Lance and she'll notice you eventually. It worked with your Mama!"

They were all so happy back then. The nine of them lived together, supporting each other. Even here, in the blackest depths of space, Lance could still see them. Such joyous memories brought a watery smile to his face.

 _Mama would always shake her head with a smile and comment on how Lance was just like his Papa. Of course, she was just referring to his cheesy flirting and bright smiles, but after his Papa died, Lance also took on his responsible, caring and protective nature. He would keep telling himself that he had no time to grieve, that he needed to look after everyone-even if it meant giving up on his Garrison dream! It wasn't until he worked himself to the point of illness that he slowed down. Mama told him: "Hijo, por favour, I know you want us to be happy, but I want you to be happy too, and your Papa would be saying the exact same thing if he was here now! Alejandro, please, I want you to stop working so hard! I just want my beautiful, perfect, happy son back!"_

 _So Lance finally decided to let go and grieve. He was stuck in a whirlpool of misery and darkness for days before running out of tears. By that time, his voice was hoarse from so much crying, and his toes were bruised from kicking his chair frequently. He promised his Mama that he would try to continue with his life, but he just didn't know where to start._

 _The day before he was due to go back to school, Lance was sat up a little before his bedtime switching through the TV channels. Static gave way to a new image with every click of the remote, but he couldn't focus on anything that came up. That was until Lance stumbled upon the Galaxy Garrison Channel. Lance had used to beg for the remote to put this channel on. Seeing so many successful pilots talking about how you can live through one of the greatest educations ever really made him feel motivated! Today Lance felt empty._

 _On the screen was a pilot Lance had never seen before. He was young-far younger than many of the others-and he had a cool cut of raven hair. His eyes were a peculiar grey colour, and he gave off a relaxing aura. The pilot's name took up the majority of the bottom corner of the screen: Takashi Shirogane._

" _-at advice would you like give to give to our future pilots?" The interviewer's voice suddenly cut in._

 _Shiro's eyes flicked to look directly at the viewers-at Lance- and with a gentle smile, began to speak in a low tone; a tone that painfully reminded Lance of his Papa._

 _Becoming a pilot isn't the easiest feat. It requires a lot of time dedicated to working hard and developing your skills. Don't just expect to just simply pass by sailing through though. There will be times where you achieve a victory, and there will be times where you fall so low that you think you can't get back up again. But that isn't true. Everyone can drag themselves up from any low. My advice is that you keep your eyes on your goal and learn to divide your time wisely. And remember that, above all-"_

 _Lance scoffed._ 'You can drag yourself up from any low'?Yeah right!

 _Lance primed the remote to and pressed down on the butto-_

" _-patience yields focus." Shiro finished._

 _Lance suddenly paused._

' _Patience yields focus'._

* * *

" _Papa, are we there yet?" Lance whined. "My feet are really aching!"_

 _Señor Mclain chuckled and looked back at his oldest child, whose angelic face was composed of bright red cheeks and the most adorable pout!_

" _We're not too far now hijo." He replied._

" _You said that half an hour ago!" Lance groaned, slouching forwards. "We've been hiking these stupid hills all day! I just want to get back home and have some garlic knots!"_

 _Lance suddenly jerked forwards as his foot caught a protruding stone. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as he felt himself fall closer and closer to the rock face… only to be stopped by a yanking force on his bag. Señor Mclain pulled him son upright and balanced him on his feet._

" _That happened because you weren't concentrating on your path!" He huffed. "I know, it's been a long day,"_

 _Lance raised a sarcastic eyebrow._

" _But," His Papa continued. "Rushing in to everything will not guarantee you an easy route. Remember Lance, la paciencia cede el foco."_

* * *

 _Patience yields focus._

 _That was one of the last lessons Lance had ever received from his Papa, and it was one he hadn't taken very seriously. But now, to hear those words repeated by Takashi Shirogane was like someone flashing a beacon at him from the distance. Papa had always said that he would always guide him, no matter how far apart they were._

" _There is no point in trying to rush your life." Shiro began to conclude. "While it is important that you focus on your goals, you also need to savour what you have. That way you can achieve your dreams and keep your loved ones by your side."_

 _Lance woke up early the next day. He ate a large, nutritious meal, had a thorough wash, dressed in his smart uniform and rushed out of the house with his bag on his back while the rest of the family were just sitting down for dinner. None of the children could believe that Lance wanted to catch up on his knowledge in the school library. After all, their eldest brother was a scientifically-proven lazy bones!_

" _Lance, where are you going?" His Mama called as he raced out of the door._

" _If I'm going to get in to the Garrison, I need to be the best student in my class!" Lance yelled back before the door closed behind his with a loud bang._

 _Señora Mclain smiled as small tears gathered in her eyes. She thanked whatever angel had listened to her for making her precious pearl so happy!_

Ever since then, Lance looked up to Shiro the way he had to his Papa. When Shiro had disappeared on the Kerberos mission, Lance had been devastated that he had lost another father figure. But even so, Lance trudged on, braving through all the downgrading statements fired his way, from students and teachers alike. Now he was in space under Shiro's command, and he was piloting one of the most epic ships in the Universe! This was better than anything he had ever dreamed of!

Except that Lance didn't feel like he was as close to his leader as he could have been. Keith was the only one he ever hung around with because of their brotherly relationship from before Kerberos. Actually, he had a strong relationship with Pidge as well because her brother had been a member of his crew. Even Hunk had gotten close to Shiro when he would come to see what he and Pidge were up to. Outside of missions, meals and training sessions, Lance and Shiro rarely interacted or talked. Lance had even begun to call Shiro their 'Space Dad' to make everyone feel more like a family, but the more he tried, the further he felt from the team.

 _Does Shiro even think as me as family?_ Lance thought. Because Hunk still does (at least, Lance thinks so) and Pidge and Keith kind of tolerated him. _No. he has far too many responsibilities leading Voltron. He doesn't need to deal with my issues as well._

When Lance snapped out of his deep thoughts, he realised that he had dressed himself and was now floating through the halls like a melancholy shadow. The hallway he was in was identical to every other one on the Castle Ship. The grey walls were lightly kissed by teal blue lights, and shadows crawled from the untouched corners. It reminded Lance of when the lights turned off on him during that time when the Castle had been infected by the crystal's venom. Just to satisfy his curiosity, Lance walked around the corner and found himself at the airlocks.

Lance shuddered as he remembered how he had almost been sucked out in to space. He remembered how the air had suddenly been sucked from him, and he was so close to suffocating when Keith got him out. But there were no haunted holograms this time; they should be safe to walk past.

Lance looked out through the airlocks to see the glimmering stars against and black void. He could also make out some colours where there were galaxies and planets. He stopped at the airlock he had almost died in, staring out into the meadow of glimmering jewels. Lance smiled sadly. He and his Papa used to stargaze sometimes after his younger siblings had gone to bed. They would draw out constellations with their fingers, and even make up some of their own. Lance placed a palm on the airlock window as if he was reaching out for them.

Suddenly a dark figure jumped up and slammed into the window, blood dripping down his body from his head like a fountain. Where there should have been eyes, there were only black holes, and the mouth was stretched wide in an eternal scream of agony! Purple fur was matted together and a handprint was left on the window from where he had hit it.

Lance screamed in terror and fell to the ground instantly, crawling backwards until he slammed into the wall. His eyes were permanently locked wide, never leaving the Galra that stood in the airlock. Lance recognised him immediately.

"Why did you kill me!?" The Galra cried, tears beginning to drip from his holes. "Why did you take me from my people? My friends? My family?"

Lance could only sit there in silence, mouth gaping and wavering.

"I was just following my orders!" The Galra continued to punch the airlock door. "I was just like you! Why couldn't you understand that I was only doing my duty? WHY DID YOU CONDEMN ME LIKE THIS!?"

"LO SIENTO!" Lance yelled, burying his head in his knees and his hands in his hair. He began rocking back and forth again, tears continuously streaming down his cheeks.

"Lo siento. Lo siento." He whimpered. "I'm sorry. Please, just leave me be! I'm sorry! I didn't want to kill you! I didn't want to kill!" I…I just…"

Lance began to weep tears he thought he didn't have.

* * *

Shiro was worried about Lance.

Shiro knew that he didn't spend nearly enough time with Lance, but between organising new missions and going to Pidge and Hunk for system updates, Shiro didn't really get any spare time to spend with the blue paladin. Despite this, Shiro could tell that Lance was really off. He'd put up is happy, unaffected as if nothing had happened, but his eyes told the black paladin everything. And if there was one thing that fighting in the arena had taught Shiro, it was to read the opponents' eyes in particular because you could see what they were thinking or planning.

When Shiro saw Lance's eyes, he saw a disturbing amount of sadness and guilt.

Shiro wasn't sure what exactly he should do. While he showered, he thought about getting Hunk to talk to him, but then Lance would probably reapply his mask to spare his best friend from worrying. Keith definitely wasn't an option right now and Pidge was out of action. That meant that Coran was busy watching over her, and Allura was currently finding a safe quadrant to leave the ship during the night cycle.

As he dressed, Shiro concluded that he had to be the one to talk to Lance.

Shiro went to Lance's room first, but found it empty. He then began to head for the bridge. Recently, Lance had begun to watch the constellation map more seriously. Allura, Pidge and Keith thought that he was just passing the time, but Shiro knew that Lance was actually watching the red. He was making sure that the red-the Galra-never reached his home. The fact sent a surge of pride through Shiro. Even so far away from home, the blue paladin remained loyal to his people and family.

Before Shiro reached the bridge, he heard yelling. It didn't sound like an argument. No, there was too much terror and desperation for this to be an argument. Shiro immediately followed the voice, and the closer he got to the source, the faster he ran. Because that was Lance's voice, and he was near the airlocks.

Shiro skidded round the corner and slid to a halt when he spotted Lance curled up in a tight, defensive ball against the wall. He was rocking backwards and forwards, head in hand. Beneath his wet sniffles, there was a constant stream of mumbling. Shiro took a wary step forwards and knelt down next to the teen.

"Lance?" He said quietly.

In a flash, Lance's face had turned to look directly at Shiro. The black paladin suppressed a gasp when he met the youth's tortured and terrified expression. His eyes were so wide that none of his tranquil blues could be made out. The white surroundings were tinged red-clear proof that he had been crying for quite a while before now as well. Lance's cheeks were drenched with tears and his lips quivered with shaky breaths.

"Sh-Shiro?" Lance whispered brokenly.

Shiro had no time to prepare for Lance's sudden lunge. His hands tightly grasped his shirt and he pressed against the older man's chest. Shiro wrapped around Lance, and he could feel his body shaking like a leaf in the wind. Shiro looked down and saw that Lance was not burying his face or looking at him. Instead, Lance was staring at the airlock. Shiro followed his gaze to the window, but saw nothing that could explain the blue paladin's current condition.

"Lance?" Shiro repeated.

"C-can't you see him?" Lance whimpered.

"Who?" Shiro asked gently.

"He-he won't stop following me!" Lance wept. "He'll follow me forever! He'll never let me go!"

"Who?" Shiro implored. "And why?"

"B-because I k-killed him!" Lance's body stiffened. "Oh God, I killed him!"

"Lan-"

Shiro attempted to comfort the child in his arms, but Lance suddenly cried: "You were hurting Pidge! I didn't want to kill you! I just wanted to protect her! Please, I'm sorry, I didn't want to kill you! I just wanted to keep Pidge safe!"

"Lance!"

Shiro placed his hand on Lance's cheek and turned his head to face him with little force.

"There's no one there." Shiro said. "No one is in the airlock Lance. He isn't here."

"No, he is!" Lance insisted. "He'll always be in my mind-my memories! He'll always be here to blame me remind me that I have blood on my hands!"

"Oh Lance."

Shiro embraced Lance with a warm and shielding hug. He deeply wished that he could act as a barrier between Lance and his ghost. Lance just continued to cry in to Shiro's shirt, creating a wet patch that kept on spreading. The black paladin gently swept his fingers through Lance's soft, chocolate hair, hoping that he was offering some sort of comfort.

"Ssh, ssh. It's going to be alright Lance." Shiro whispered as he gently swayed the blue paladin in his arms. "I'll help you through this Lance. Ore wa anata i yakusoku shimasu Lance. Kimi o mamoru."

 **Woohoo! Third chapter, and it's a biggie! Well, thanks for reading, and don't forget to give your opinion on whether or not I should use a cover (I talk about it in the previous chapter). I don't think this story will have more than one or two more chapters because I end up losing the flow when I write really long stories, and I don't want that to happen to my first.**

 **And we're now seeing some SpaceDad! Shiro! Honestly, Space Dad Shiro is just the best! I really want to see more of it in future seasons, along with some character and backstory development for Lance and Hunk. On a further note, I have gone back to the previous chapters and fixed a few grammar mistakes.**

 **Until the next chapter my wonderful readers!**

 **Hijo - Son**

 **Señor – Mr**

 **La paciencia cede el foco - Patience yields focus**

 **Señora – Mrs**

 **Lo siento – I'm sorry**

 **Ore wa anata i yakusoku shimasu Lance. Kimi o mamoru. – I promise you Lance. I'll protect you. (Thank you anon)**


	4. Consumed By Love

**Final chapter!**

 **Hopefully this is as satisfying to you all as my previous chapters have been. Thank you all so much for joining me on my first fictional adventure. I hope you all enjoy the final chapter of Mercy!**

Lance didn't look peaceful in his sleep either. Shiro had hoped that Lance would be able to relax once he had left the horrors of reality. Unfortunately, it seemed that even his dreams and fantasies were now plagued by his guilt.

When Shiro had found Lance babbling about a figure constantly following him, he could immediately identify what was happening. He didn't know much about what had happened in that corridor with Pidge and Keith, but if the corpse he saw was any indication, it was that he had failed in protecting one of his children team mates from the worst part about war.

As silly as it sounded, Shiro was determined to protect his fellow paladins as much as he could; not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well! After all, none of them were adult (save for Keith who had only turned 18 in October just gone). Both Hunk and Lance were 17, and Pidge was just 15! She wasn't even old enough to be considered a young adult! Sure, they had already fought the Galra multiple times, but compared to the stuff Shiro had seen them do while he was in the arena, what they had seen was tame. Shiro had only wanted to protect them as leader, but surely and slowly, he began to take on a more fatherly role (watashi wa kore ni dōi shinakatta!). All of the paladins began to call him 'Space Dad' after Lance mentioned it one morning. And the more he got to know them, the more Shiro realised that maybe taking up a paternal role would be best for them.

Through their time together, Shiro had gotten to know them. Even Lance, with whom Shiro did not really talk to outside of missions, meals and training sessions, resembled an over-active toddler; he would be the one to wander off and make lots of noise. Shiro didn't know how, but Lance's bubbly and optimistic attitude just made him want to keep the blue paladin wrapped up with bubble wrap to protect him from the Universe. At least then he could do something to protect him.

But right now, Shiro couldn't do anything to help Lance fend off his demons. Shiro knew exactly what Lance was going through and knew that very little could be done to help him. His first few kills in the arena had left stabbing pains of guilt in his chest. As time passed, the pain lessened, but the guilt remained strong. Even now he could still see their faces amongst the sea composed of his nightmares. He remembered how most of them stared at him with wide eyes before he delivered the killing blow. He could still hear how they cried and sniffled, openly expressing their fear. He could remember how ruthless the Galra were when they were in the arena, and how he could barely hold on to his survival instincts through his own fear. Even now, after endless comfort from Keith and the other paladins, he was still haunted. There was no doubt in his mind that these nightmares would continue for many years after this war-if he survives, that is.

Shiro was only just managing to struggle through his PTSD because he has suffered it for over a year. But Lance was so young, and so, so innocent! Undoubtedly, he would suffer over 100 timed worse that Shiro ever did, and the sudden realisation of the fact urged Shiro to stroke his hand through Lance's damp hair, all while trying to squash the urge to cry.

"I'm so sorry Lance!" He sniffled as he continued to glide his hand through soft, brown locks. Lance mumbled slightly, rubbing his head into Shiro's hand like an adorable kitten seeking comfort.

And if Shiro ever tells you that the gesture didn't make him smile, then he's lying!

* * *

Keith couldn't sleep.

Keith was laid on his back, staring at his ceiling. He just couldn't stop thinking about Lance! Usually, cleaning his knife would help him relax his mind, but today it had no effect. His cruel words kept ringing in his head.

 _Useless? Lance isn't useless! How could I have said that?_

Sure, he slacked off sometimes, and wasn't a technological or mechanical genius like Hunk and Pidge. But despite that, he was still helpful in his own way! He would act as Pidge's rubber duck whenever she got frustrated over some data and codes. When Hunk would panic (which was almost all of the time), Lance would comfort him in a language that Keith couldn't identify. He would keep a smile on his face to assure Shiro that he was doing a good job as leader and that he had nothing to stress about. Heck, he had even helped Keith through a flu not too long after they had been blasted into space!

Keith couldn't remember much through his fever, but he could see flashing images of Lance singing Spanish songs to him while his head laid in the blue paladin's shoulder. Lance had brought him an endless supply of food, water and hot water bottles to reduce his discomfort. He acted as if he was used to looking after ill people. Maybe he was…

Keith sighed sadly. He knew very little about his "rival". He knew nothing about his family or his home. Keith had mentioned how he was an orphan and how he had been passed around foster homes before coming into Shiro's care. Everyone knew about Pidge's family and Hunk had talked about both of his mums while he was cooking in the kitchen. Even Coran and Allura, who were very hesitant about talking about Altea, had given some details about their families and planet. But never-not once-had Keith heard anything about Lance's life before the Garrison.

Small beads of tears rolled down Keith's cheeks as he remembered how he had always rejected Lance back at the Garrison. When Lance had approached with friendship, Keith had acted with shock and suspicion. All of his 'friends' in the past hadn't wanted anything to do with him; they had just wanted to get closer to Shiro through him. At the Garrison, it was no secret that Lance adored Shiro because he mentioned it _a lot_ , so Keith had turned down the tall, lanky, bumbling teen. However, after they had saved Shiro, Keith had realised that Lance knew nothing off his relationship with Shiro! Lance really did want to be friends with him, and Keith had to go and ruin everything.

Through their time on the Castle, Keith felt like he and Lance had grown closer-especially after their bonding moment on Arus-but there was no way that Lance would even want to _see_ him after what he had said! He'd called him useless, and he had said nothing back! The others had gasped at his outburst and looked at him with shock and disappointment, but Lance showed barely any reaction.

Keith groaned and shoved his pillow in to his face.

"WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO CONFUSING?" He cried, sounding muffled.

Lance was just so…unconcise! He was both bubbly and serious! He would often goof off and flirt, but would always remain loyal to his team! He would often rile Keith up, and then calm him down on some occasions. Why?!

Keith could only come up with one solution to get his answers. He would have to talk to Lance, and the sooner, the better.

* * *

Lance slowly woke up. Consciousness rolled in like a gentle wave on a beach. He could see his glow-in-the-dark stars shining down on him; he'd put them up there not long after arriving in space to make his room a bit more homely.

Lance sat up with a groan, but stopped when he felt a pulling on his sheets. Looking down, he saw Shiro asleep with his head resting on his arms. He began to move and mumble, disturbed by Lance's movements, and blinked his eyes a few times before meeting Lance's gaze.

"Lance." He said softly. He sat up gently, never taking his eyes off of Lance. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not any worse, I guess." Lance shrugged. Pink then dusted his cheeks as he remembered the events before he fell asleep. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"No, it's ok." Shiro gently assured him. "I was looking for you anyway."

"Is this about what Keith said?" Lance asked. The silence was answer enough. "Look, it didn't bother me too much, ok? I'm fine! Besides, he was right. The next time I freeze like that could get someone killed."

"But that doesn't make it any easier to kill someone." Shiro countered.

Lance fell silent, staring down at his hands laid limply in his lap. Shiro sighed and placed his hand on the Cuban's shoulders. Lance peered up at Shiro from behind his messy mop of hair.

"I know it hurts Lance." Shiro said. "I went through this while I was in the arena, and-"

"Will it get any better?" Lance asked, his eyes almost begging for the black paladin to say 'yes'. Shiro almost complied, but then decided that lying to Lance was not the best option.

"Sort of." He replied. "It will hurt Lance, for a very long time. Even now, I'm still haunted by them. Back then, I was doing it for my own survival; you did it to save Pidge."

"But…but that doesn't make it hurt any less!" Lance sniffled.

"I'm afraid it won't. But the pain can be good because it means that you feel bad. You're still a good person Lance. You didn't do it for pleasure or entertainment. You were protecting people you love! If you hadn't had done it, Pidge could be dead right now and unable to find her family. I can't even begin to imagine how Matt and Sam would react to that."

"But that Galra…" Lance whimpered. "That Galra must have had family too! Oh Dios mío! How could they be feeling right now?"

Shiro pulled Lance to his chest and wrapped his arms around the teen's back. Lance's back shook with his sobs, and Shiro began to stroke his hair again.

"I'm so sorry Lance!" Shiro whispered into the blue paladin's hair. "I'm sorry that you had to be dragged into this. You're so good and kind and loyal and you just don't deserve to be in this war! But I'm so selfish Lance. We all need you here. You bring us so much comfort and seeing you trying to have as much fun as you can makes me so happy! You keep us all form falling Lance. You brought us together to be a…family."

Lance said nothing for a short while, and Shiro feared that his words were not as helpful as he'd hoped. Then Lance snorted into his chest.

"Are you confirming that you are 'Space Dad'?" Lance grinned.

Shiro blanched, eyebrows furrowing in fondness and annoyance.

"I am sure that I have told you time and time again that I am not 'Space Dad'!" Shiro said.

"I know, I know." Lance huffed. "But, well, I was hoping that you could, at least be my Space Dad?"

Shiro's heart suddenly leapt with joy! His mouth dropped like a penny as he stared at Lance with bulging eyes. But Shiro wasted so much time reacting that he had forgotten to speak, and Lance tensed in his arms with embarrassment.

"Never mind! Forget I said anything!" He rushed out.

Shiro snapped out of his shocked state and took Lance by the shoulders to look him in the eyes.

"Are you serious Lance?" He asked. He had to know that this was serious, and not some prank.

"Y-yes." Lance replied quietly, looking immensely bashful.

A wide smile suddenly formed as Shiro began to cry tears of happiness for the first time in ages!

"Oh Lance!" Shiro laughed. He pulled the boy in for another hug which was returned. ""Oh Lance, you have no idea how happy you make us all!"

Lance was surprised that Shiro actually wanted to be his 'Space Dad', but nonetheless, he too began to cry happily too. He smothered his smile in to Shiro's shoulder, and the two refused to let go of each other for many varga.

Here, in each other's comforting arms, they could both forget the horrors of their pasts.

* * *

Pidge was due to come out soon.

Everyone was stood around her pod waiting for the door to open and for their green paladin to fall into Shiro's open arms. The silence was slightly awkward as Keith kept his gaze firmly on the ground. Hunk looked over at Lance nervously, but his friend didn't seem to be bothered by anything.

"Hey, Lance?" He whispered. "How are you feeling?"

Lance turned to Hunk with a small smile.

"I have been better," He replied. "But I'll manage."

"Are you sure?" Hunk asked, worried that the blue paladin may be hiding something from him.

In reply, Lance laid a hand on Hunk's shoulder and said: "Ou te folafola atu ia te oe uso, ua ou manuia."

Hunk relaxed immensely at the relaxing sounds of his native language. Lance would only speak to him like that when he was serious.

"Afai e te mautinoa." He smiled back.

Both of them suddenly redirected their gaze to the cryopod which was now beeping to indicate that it was going to open. With a whoosh and a cloud of steam, Pidge fell forwards into Shiro's arms and rested her head on Shiro's shoulder. She blinked blearily and looked at them with tired eyes.

"Per favore, lasciami qualche altro minuto." She grumbled.

"Alzati e risplendi Gremlin!" Lance teased her.

Lance looked at her surrogate brother with a glare, which then withered as she saw the dark circled around his eyes.

"Lance, are you alright?" She asked as she was steadied on to her feet.

"Sort of." Lance smiled back gently. "I was just so beat up about letting you get hurt like that."

Pidge jumped and latched herself to Lance's midsection like a koala bear. She looked up at Lance with a glare.

"Don't you dare." She growled. "Don't you dare feel guilty on me."

"But you got hurt because I hesitated!" Lance said.

"Lance, you couldn't even kill a spider in the bath tub!" Pidge rolled her eyes. "It's no surprise that you couldn't kill a Galra as well."

Silence fell over them as guilt glazed over Lance's eyes. Pidge's gaze softened as she reached up to touch Lance's cheek.

"Hey, you saved my life." She told him softly. "I'm alive right now because of what you did. Thanks to you, I can continue to help protect the Universe and find my family! So don't you dare feel bad about saving me because you are like a big brother to me and I refuse to lose you to anyone or anything!"

Lance's breath hitched as he began to cry again for the however-many-times that day. He pulled Pidge up into a crushing hug as everyone else smiled at the cute scene before. Them. It all ended when Pidge's stomach growled loudly.

"Ok," Allura said. "Pidge, you need to have some food and a shower."

"Yeah, you stink." Lance grinned down at her.

Pidge replied by smacking the in the shoulder. Hard.

* * *

Lance looked everywhere for Keith. He wasn't in his room or the training deck, which were his usual locations. Lance eventually found him after two vargas of searching. The red paladin was sat in one of the spare rooms. Lance had found it ages ago. The room was fairly small, but it had a large window that overlooked the millions of stars around them. This was where Keith was sat with his knees tucked under his chin. Lance strolled up next to him and sank down to the floor. The two sat in silence, not noticing each other's presence. After some internal encouragement, Keith finally sighed and turned to Lance.

"I'm sorry." He said. "What I said yesterday was wrong. You're not useless."

Lance looked at him. He said nothing, so Keith took it as e cue to continue.

"I was just so scared." Keith admitted. "I was afraid at the idea that I could lose you, any one of you! I have no family back on Earth, but here in Space, I have come to know you all as my family."

"Even me?" Lance flashed a cheeky grin.

"Yes." Keith sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. "Everyone needs an annoying tease in their family."

"So you admit that I'm not useless?" Lance prodded. "Go on, tell me about how useful I am. Shower me with your rarest gift of all; compliments!"

Keith groaned: "And inflate your ego even further?"

"Come ooon!" Lance began to lean towards Keith, forcing the smaller man to lean away and push the advancing boy back.

"Alright, alright!" Keith finally relented. "You're just so…you."

Lance raised a sarcastic eyebrow.

"Elaborate please."

"Well, you're sometimes funny."

"Sooometimes?"

"Ok, mostly."

Lance settled back with a satisfied smirk.

"And you're also kind and comforting, like when I had the flu."

"Ah, our bonding time." Lance sighed happily.

"At least you remember that one." Keith pouted, then continued. "You're also incredibly clingy! You're always demanding for hugs and socialisation, but that is what keeps us together. When you first started pushing us into having breakfast together, I was prepared to take any measures necessary to stop it from happening. But spending that time with you makes me happy."

"Yeah, I noticed." Lance interjected.

"What?" Keith exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah." Lance elaborated. "You have this happy gleam in your eyes at breakfast, even when you pretend to be mad at me."

"But I hide my emotions so well from everyone!" Keith squeaked.

"Not from me." Lance flashed a sly grin. "I am the oldest of seven children; I know how to read people."

 _Seven? SEVEN CHILDREN?!_ Keith thought incredulously.

"How does your mother even survive?!" Keith exclaimed.

"With her glare." Lance shivered. "Normally, she is warm and comforting, but if you annoy her, she will give you a glare that would even make John Cena cower!"

"She sounds amazing." Keith said.

Lance smiled fondly: "She is. Hold on, you know who John Cena is?"

Keith shrugged: "Shiro was in the middle of a phase when I first met him!"

Lance blinked, then snorted. Then he curled up into a ball of cackling and kicking feet. After Lance began to laugh, Keith too scoffed and laughed as well.

"Oh my God!" Lance wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "Shiro, a fanboy? I did NOT see that coming!"

"I know right?" Keith chortled. "He was such a nerd!"

"Well, isn't that calling the kettle black?" Lance grinned at Keith teasingly. "Don't you believe in the Mothman?"

"He is totally real!" Keith yelled passionately.

"And Bigfoot?"

"Plenty of evidence!"

"What about the Goatman? Windigos? Ghosts? Aliens?"

Keith stared at Lance like he was dumb. It took a second for it to click before Lance's expression turned into a mortified one. Lance shoved his reddening face into his hands yelling: "Don't answer that last one!"

"We're in Space you doofus!" Keith cackled. "We've seen loads of aliens! You've flirted with loads of aliens!"

"I know!" Lance whined, removing his hands. "I was just so deep in my 'Keith teasing' mode!"

"And it totally backfired on you." Keith grinned.

Lance smiled slightly with a spark of happiness in his eyes.

"It sure did." He said quietly, turning his head to look out of the window. Keith followed suit, and the two sat side by side in silence for another varga staring out at the glimmering stars. The silence wasn't awkward this time though; it was a comforting one, built on their trust and fondness towards each other. Keith was so relaxed that his head slowly inched his way towards Lance's shoulder. Similarly, Lance's arm slowly creeped around Keith's back to hold him closer. Neither of them said anything then, or after.

* * *

Lance trudged down the halls like a zombie. The Galra had returned to him tonight. They nightmares had lessened in strength and frequency over time, but they still freaked him out. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Shiro stood at the counter with an ashen face.

"Hey." Lance greeted softly.

Shiro looked at Lance with a tired but relieved expression.

"Hey." He replied.

"Couldn't sleep?" Lance asked.

"No. Nightmares. You?"

"Same."

Lance walked around the counter to look directly at Shiro.

"Mama always said that a cup of hot milk is good for bad dreams." He said. Shiro smiled softly at Lance's implication.

"Hot milk sounds amazing." He purred.

The two sat together with their drinks, silently comforting each other merely with their presences. Lance blew his drink to cool it before taking a heavenly sip. He smile, contented with the life he had made here. He had an amazing Space Dad and a crazy uncle. He had some awesome siblings, and some cool pet mice with psychic powers.

 _Esta es mi familia._ He thought. _Y haré lo que sea para protegerlos._

 **And we're done! My journey into the realm of Langst is over! D:**

 **But I have a friend who is insistent on me writing a Gay Fic, so I guess I'll have to get started on that. :D On a further note, I also have an idea for another fandom as well, so I will try to start that as soon as possible.**

 **Once again, thank you all so, so, so much for reading Mercy!**

 **Here are some translations:**

 **Watashi wa kore ni dōi shinakatta! - I did not agree to this!**

 **Oh Dios mío! - Oh my God!**

 **Ou te folafola atu ia te oe uso, ua ou manuia. – I promise you brother, I am fine.**

 **Afai e te mautinoa. – If you're sure.**

 **Per favore, lasciami qualche altro minute. - Please, just a few more minutes.**

 **Alzati e risplendi Gremlin! - Rise and shine Gremlin!**

 **Esta es mi familia. Y haré lo que sea para protegerlos. - This is my family. And I will do anything to protect them.**

 **Just in case you're confused, the Voltron Wiki says that Pidge is confirmed as Italian, Hunk is confirmed as Samoan, Lance is confirmed as Cuban and Shiro is confirmed as Japanese. Keith has no confirmed nationality. The ages I have used are also correct for the present time. More can be found on their character profile pages on the Voltron Wiki.**

 **Anyway, until the next time my fabulous readers!**

 **WarrynSparklegem**


End file.
